Shining the spotlight on Stephen Daly
Stephen Daly has always had a ‘can do’ attitude and his hands-on approach to his role at SRL is the reason why he has enjoyed a long and successful career with us.
Stephen joined SRL in 2014 as an operative at our Cumbernauld site. He worked hard in his position and was soon promoted to the role of supervisor. He went on to become a regional manager in 2018 and is now responsible for five depots in his region – Inverness, Aberdeen, Cumbernauld, Selkirk and Carlisle.
“I joined SRL seven years ago in a junior role, but I was very keen to learn all about the traffic management industry and develop my knowledge and skill-set,” says Stephen. “I haven’t looked back and I’ve been rewarded with rapid career progression at SRL. I was really pleased to become regional manager three years ago – it is a very busy, but incredibly satisfying job.”
Never standing still
Stephen is responsible for a large area that covers several hundred miles, so he is out on the road a lot making sure that all his customers have the equipment they require and that it is working properly. “I take my role very seriously – it’s vital to make sure that each customer has all the traffic management equipment they need, because this ultimately helps to keep people safe on the road.”
Logistics is a key element of Stephen’s job and he spends a great deal of time planning where equipment is going to be needed and how to get it there. “I look after nearly 60 customers and I take more than 100 calls a day from colleagues and customers, so there’s never a quiet moment,” Stephen explains. “My customers rely on me and I’m constantly working out how we can move our equipment quickly and efficiently to meet their requirements.
“Today, for example, I’m moving some kit from Aberdeen to Cumbernauld and then onto Selkirk before it makes its way to Newcastle. I need to make sure that people and vehicles are in the right place at the right time to avoid any delays. Ideally, we like to have seven days’ notice from customers, but it doesn’t always work out that way, and it’s my job to make sure we look after them – we never say we can’t help them and we never let them down.”
Stephen oversees all the operations in his region and he can find himself managing all manner of tasks. “I wear many hats in my role - I’m responsible for stock control, fleet management, booking new hires, dealing with invoice queries, managing staffing levels, organising driving training for staff, customer service and leading customer visits. It’s a diverse role, but I love the variety – no two days are ever the same.”
“The business has doubled in size since I joined and we have opened up more depots in my region to help us achieve further growth, without compromising on our two-hour call-out time.”
Team effort
Stephen manages a team of 21 people across his five depots and he praises them for their commitment and dedication. “I am really proud of my team, they work very hard to keep the region running and we achieve great results. It really is a team effort at SRL and everyone plays their part in delivering a great customer experience,” he adds.
Stephen has seen many changes at SRL since he joined, particularly how rapidly the company has grown. “The business has doubled in size since I joined and we have opened up more depots in my region to help us achieve further growth, without compromising on our two-hour call-out time.”
Managing the opening of our Selkirk site was a highlight for Stephen. “Opening a new depot is exciting because it’s helping the business to grow and service customers even better,” says Stephen. “I really enjoyed the whole process of opening Selkirk, from finding the right site and negotiating the lease to kitting it out with the necessary equipment and recruiting people. It is really rewarding to be putting SRL in more places on the map. Opening that site helped us to win a very large contract in the area too, which was really satisfying.”
Forging ahead
SRL is known for its ability to cater for high infrastructure projects and one of Stephen’s landmark projects has to be the £776 million Edinburgh Trams scheme. “This is the biggest infrastructure project that Scotland has ever seen, so it is very prominent,” says Stephen. “It’s in its fourth year now and we’ve successfully managed many large and time-sensitive requests from the client, Class One Traffic Management, during that time. It proves we have the capability to take on the most demanding projects.”
So, what does Stephen see on the horizon for SRL? “SRL is a pioneer – it’s always the first to develop exciting new technologies, like our unique Multiphase Adaptive Detection System (ADS). The business is showing no signs of slowing down – it will continue to grow and it will stay at the forefront of the industry, I have no doubt about that.”
The future certainly looks bright for Stephen and the rest of our incredible 180-strong team!
Due to rapid expansion and growth, we have opportunities for more exceptional individuals to join the team. If you’d like to get in touch, please email recruitment@srl.co.uk.
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